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§ Private Profile · Plano, TX, USA
Wink is a company.
Wink has raised $5.8M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Wink.
Wink was founded in 2021 by Michael Tanne (Founder and CEO, VP Business Development).
Wink has raised $5.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Wink provides a unified software and hardware platform designed to connect and control a wide array of smart home devices through a single user interface. The company offers a central hub that integrates diverse communication protocols, including Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth Low Energy, allowing disparate smart devices to function together seamlessly. Its mobile application enables users to remotely manage their home environment, configure automated routines, and execute multi-device commands, simplifying complex smart home ecosystems.
Wink, Labs Inc. was established in 2014, emerging as a spin-off from the invention incubator Quirky. Nathan Smith, serving as CTO, was instrumental in its founding. The initial concept stemmed from a collaboration with General Electric, aiming to create a cohesive control system for various co-branded smart home products, addressing the fragmentation prevalent in the nascent smart home market by enabling interoperability across different brands and device types.
The platform caters to general consumers seeking to consolidate control over their connected home devices, from lighting and thermostats to security systems. Wink’s vision centers on delivering a simpler, more intuitive smart home experience, allowing users to customize their living spaces with ease and efficiency. The company aims to empower individuals to build an intelligently automated home that responds to their needs through a single, streamlined application.
Wink has raised $5.8M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in February 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2, 2023 | $3M Seed | Saurabh Ranjan | Gaurav Arora | Announced |
| May 10, 2022 | $2.9M Pre Seed | Gary Bender, Saurabh Ranjan | Mehul Desai | Announced |
Key people at Wink.
Wink was founded in 2021 by Michael Tanne (Founder and CEO, VP Business Development).
Wink has raised $5.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Wink's investors include Saurabh Ranjan, Gaurav Arora, Gary Bender, Mehul Desai.
Wink is a fintech startup based in Texas and California that develops a biometric identity and payments platform, enabling passwordless authentication and hands-free payments using any device camera.[1][2] It serves merchants, e-commerce platforms, payment processors, and consumers across industries like e-commerce, connected cars, and smart homes by solving authentication vulnerabilities and payment friction without passwords, credit cards, or specialized hardware.[1][2] The company has raised $2.85 million in pre-seed funding in 2021-2022 (led by CerraCap Ventures and Carneros Bay) and $3 million in seed funding in 2023 (led by CerraCap Ventures with Flying Point Industries), demonstrating strong early growth momentum toward public product launch.[1][2]
Wink was founded in 2021 by Deepak Jain, a payments industry veteran who previously served as global head of payments at Finablr, and founded DeviceFidelity and Swych.[2] The idea emerged from Jain's experience identifying opportunities to simplify authentication and payments, particularly in e-commerce and Web3, by leveraging biometrics to eliminate passwords and legacy methods prone to breaches.[1][2] Early traction included a pre-seed raise exceeding its $1 million target, advisor support from figures like Gary Bender (Carneros CEO) and Mehul Desai (Tntra chairman), and demos to payment processors and merchants, with a small team of four positioning for public launch.[2]
Wink rides the wave of biometric authentication growth amid rising cyber threats, data breaches, and the shift to passwordless systems in fintech, e-commerce, and Web3.[1][2] Its timing aligns with market demands for frictionless, secure payments post-pandemic, where legacy methods fail against sophisticated attacks, enabling broader adoption in high-stakes areas like connected devices.[1][2] Favorable forces include regulatory pushes for stronger authentication (e.g., against fraud) and investor interest in scalable biometrics, positioning Wink to influence ecosystem standards by partnering with processors and platforms for seamless integration.[2]
Wink is poised to scale its platform post-seed funding, targeting public launch expansions into e-commerce, automotive, and IoT while pursuing further patents and partnerships.[1][2] Trends like AI-enhanced biometrics, Web3 decentralization, and zero-trust security will accelerate its trajectory, potentially evolving it into a foundational layer for frictionless global transactions. As biometric adoption surges, Wink could redefine secure payments, turning everyday devices into trusted gateways and outpacing password-reliant competitors.
